
Resting the body, mind and all things in between. Lightening the burdens carried may help, as well.

Resting the body, mind and all things in between. Lightening the burdens carried may help, as well.

It seems as though every popular European cathedral has a sad-looking woman at its door soliciting donations. You feel the tug at your heart-strings and you just want to help such a desperate soul.
I have no problem with charitable giving, but I don’t like to be scammed or have my items stolen.
A list of some popular scams can be found by clicking this link: Tourist Scams and Rip-Offs by Rick Steves
We enjoy the wonderful people we have met across the globe, but some precautions are necessary. We have found value in dressing down (no flashy or expensive items showing), saying no when needed, being aware of people/surroundings while making any money transactions and keeping passport/money secure and under wraps.
Travel is not a reward for working, it’s an education for living. ~ The Travel Channel
It takes a little bit of crazy to ride those bulls!

Image captured during the 2017 Gary Rodeo located on the west edge of Gary, South Dakota.
Short video of our hiking adventures along the north shore of Lake Superior.
Yep…Randy experienced yoga along the beautiful shores of Lake Superior, kind of sort of.
The journey only requires you to put one foot in front of the other …again and again and again. If you can find beauty every step of the way, you are truly blessed.
An early start to a thirty kilometer walk today with random conversations and historic villages along the way. I arrive at the steps reaching the bridge into Logrono catching the tourist information office gentleman at the top just as he is about ready to close. The excellent map he gives me makes my journey to tonight’s lodging a piece of cake allowing me time to pay it forward and help another young pilgrim find the municipal albergue in time for her to get a bed.
Seems like I’m just getting my trail legs and this Camino has ended. The departure process now begins with a bus, three planes, my very first Uber ride until my little red car takes me all the way back to the border of Minnesota/South Dakota.
It may be time to go home, but it’s never too early to start planning the next adventure… I am truly blessed.

Cold, rain and fog accompany us as we walk through the Pyrennees from Refuge Orrison to Roncesvalles. The thumping sound of large, raindrops pelt against my rain gear… a constant drumming throughout the day. Soaked gloves offer no protection from the cold resulting in numb fingers and toes. Large flocks of sheep hunker down together, staring at the passing Pilgrims as if to say, …and they say sheep are dumb. We later discover that the mountain was closed to those leaving St. Jean that day.
Maybe I do feel like a hiking beast…
The following stretch from Roncesvalles to Larrasoana provides a much better day for hiking with plenty of photo opportunities due to the pleasant weather. I am much more appreciative of this wonderful weather today due to the rough weather yesterday. Minnesotans learn this lesson early in life.


“Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends.” Maya Angelou
Images and video clips by Joyce Meyer.
Music: The Wrong Direction by Passenger
Thank you to my wonderful family for organizing our team as we finished our third Brookings Relay Marathon, in Brookings, SD. Shout out and thank you to Brandi Brintnall for being an official Meyer for the day. Brookings, SD Marathon event organizers did an excellent job providing an amazing event. Can’t wait until next year!
Images and video were captured with a Samsung Galaxy S4 phone.